as in to withdraw
to move back or away (as from something difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable)
resistance from native forces was greater than expected, and the invading army was forced to fall back
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fall back
And because no one has seen this before, leadership can fall back on trial-and-error decision-making.
—
Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 9 June 2026
When the plane’s nose falls back toward the runway, the plane catches fire and goes up in flames.
—Francie Ebert, NBC news, 8 June 2026
Highs will fall back into the 70s this weekend.
—Lisa Meadows, CBS News, 8 June 2026
The first video, captured on May 22, 2026, shows a remarkable prominence releasing streams of material that appear to fall back toward the sun as coronal rain.
—Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 5 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for fall back
Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 9 June 2026
When the plane’s nose falls back toward the runway, the plane catches fire and goes up in flames.
—Francie Ebert, NBC news, 8 June 2026
Highs will fall back into the 70s this weekend.
—Lisa Meadows, CBS News, 8 June 2026
The first video, captured on May 22, 2026, shows a remarkable prominence releasing streams of material that appear to fall back toward the sun as coronal rain.
—Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 5 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for fall back
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fall back
Verb
-
This is because Roth IRAs allow withdrawals of your contributions penalty-free (there are, however, stipulations for withdrawing earnings).—
Becca Stanek,
TheWeek,
12 June 2026
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The rationale was that any war Israel fought would inflame popular anti-Israeli sentiment in the Arab and Muslim world, scuttling the Abraham Accords as Arab governments would withdraw out of fear of backlash.—
Ariel Cohen,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
Seeking a brief escape from the public grief that had engulfed her family, 34-year-old Jackie retreated to the White House family quarters and found the British royal entertaining her young son.—
Simon Perry,
PEOPLE,
11 June 2026
-
Now, like in the Octagon, everyone has retreated to their corners.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
11 June 2026
Verb
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Edge rusher Jalyx Hunt said cornerback Kelee Ringo shouted out a signal to him before the snap, and Hunt dropped back into coverage and snagged Dalton’s throw.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
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The odds of the Clarity Act being passed this year have dropped back from almost 70% on the Polymarket prediction platform, falling to just over 50%.—
Billy Bambrough,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Verb
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As the New York Times reports, Gates is seemingly pulling out all the stops to rescue his tarnished brand, a fall from grace that’s putting his $89 billion global health fund, the Gates Foundation, in jeopardy.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
11 June 2026
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Over the years, stars have pulled out all the stops with gifts that range from custom artwork to elaborate public tributes.—
Lydia Price,
PEOPLE,
11 June 2026
Verb
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The Pirates had just one more hit off Lauer who retired 15 of the next 16 batters after the back-to-back home runs.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
10 June 2026
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Baker retired Masataka Yoshida and Gasper in order to finish things off.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fall back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fall%20back. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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